The decision by the Jammu and Kashmir administration to purchase an additional 500 MW of power to combat the rising winter demand comes as a much-needed relief for the region. The stark reality of reduced electricity availability during winter months, primarily due to lower hydroelectric output, has perennially been a bane of the Valley. The belated move, however, comes as a proactive step to address the imminent power scarcity.
The Union Territory’s heavy reliance on hydropower makes it vulnerable to seasonal variations in water discharge, consequently affecting electricity generation. This impacts the lives of residents, with power shortages causing disruptions across domestic, commercial, and industrial sectors.
The approval of a fresh Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between J&K Power Corporation Limited and the NTPC is an initiative to bridge the gap between demand and supply. Singrauli-III power station’s inclusion in this agreement, being a thermal power station, proves critical in meeting the escalated winter demand when hydro-generated power undergoes a significant decline.
The decision is timely, considering the compounding annual growth rate of energy demand in Jammu and Kashmir, pegged at 10 percent. This underlines the pressing need for augmenting the existing power supply infrastructure to sustain the region’s development and livelihoods.
While this move is commendable, it’s equally crucial to address underlying issues contributing to power scarcity. The Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDC) blames power pilferage, defaulting consumers, and damaged infrastructure for being a factor in the existing state of power situation. According to the corporation, the pilferage primarily results in outages and damage to transformers, thus causing hardships to genuine consumers. The consequent crackdown launched by the corporation has fetched it around Rs 30 crore in just four days. And this massive amount may not have been recovered only from the power pilferers. This goes on to prove that people have been paying for the electricity consumed by them. But despite that they don’t get adequate electricity. Even with this responsible payment behavior, the Valley faces a persistent struggle with power shortages, especially during the winter when hydroelectric output diminishes substantially. While power pilfering has certainly been a fact of life in J&K, as elsewhere in the country, it is something that generally doesn’t happen without the connivance of the KPDC staff. So, the corporation needs to look within also.
That said, the decision to secure additional power from the Centre is a timely intervention, acknowledging the region’s vulnerability during this crucial period. Here’s hoping that the power situation only improves from hereon.
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